The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, directed by Victor Fleming (1883–1949), was adapted from the 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum (1856–1919), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Since it first appeared on CBS in 1956, it has been seen by well over one billion people, but the movie is far more than a popular means of filling space on TV schedules. References to The Wizard of Oz appear in films from Star Wars (1977; see entry under 1970s—Film and Theater in volume 4) to Wild at Heart (1990). It has inspired Broadway shows, album titles and cover artwork, political cartoons, and even a U.S. postage stamp. Songs from The Wizard of Oz have been covered by artists from Willie Nelson (1933–) to Tori Amos (1963–). With its fabulous characters, catchy tunes, silly humor, and fun-scary plot, The Wizard of Oz is a near-perfect fantasy movie.

The role of Dorothy...